Welcome to the latest issue of the Employer Resources Newsletter, where you will find in-depth and expertly researched and written articles (courtesy of Adare Human Resource Management) covering key areas of employment law and best practice.

If there are any specific topics you would like covered in this publication, please forward your suggestions to Thomas McDonagh of Adare Human Resources Management: tmcdonagh@adarehrm.ie.

Survey Results

Thank you to all who participated in our poll survey last month. The poll results are outlined below.

From September 1st 2016, new fathers will lawfully be able to take 2 weeks paid paternity leave within the first 26 weeks of their child being born or adopted.

The €230 a week payment can be claimed once new fathers give 4 weeks notice to their employer, have a valid public services card and up to date PRSI payments.

​​Interestingly, based on the responses received, 55% of Employers indicated that the Employee will be entitled to receive the State Paternity benefit only and do not plan to introduce any form of payment over and above the State benefit. This represents no change to fathers in terms of organisation payment for such leave.32% of Employers indicated that the Employee will receive a benefit on par with the current established maternity benefit. This represents a change, with an organisational benefit to be made to fathers availing of paternity leave in the future, which may not have been in place previously to fathers availing of such leave.10% of Employers intend to provide a combination of State and Employer funded paternity benefit – for the purposes of this survey, no indication is given as to the varying levels of paternity benefit to be provided.3% indicating “other” in terms of the benefit to be provided.

​Newsletter Content:

Employment Case Law – each month we review a number of interesting employment law cases and consider their implications for organisations. This month we look at dismissal due to capability.Read more >>>

Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Decisions – each month we look at and review the decisions from the WRC. This provides a valuable insight into the types of discrimination cases before the WRC and the decisions that are issued. Read more >>>​

What to Keep an Eye Out For – what is new, changing, potentially changing or what you may have missed. Read more >>>

Did you Know?​Minimum wage in Ireland is increasing in January 2017The Minimum Wage in Ireland will increase to €9.25 an hour with effective from 1st January 2017. The current headline minimum wage rate in 2016 is €9.15 an hour, but there are lower rates for younger and less experienced workers.These are the hourly minimum rates of pay that will apply in Ireland from January 1st 2017Experienced adult worker = €9.25 per hourOver 19 and less than 2 years since first job = €8.33Over 18 and less than 1 years since began first job = €7.40 Aged under 18 = €6.48​(An experienced adult worker – for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Act – is an employee who has an employment of any kind in any 2 years over the age of 18.)

Minimum Wage for Trainees:(Employee aged over 18, in structured training during working hours)1st one third of course = €6.942nd third of course = €7.40 3rd part of course = €8.33

According to the Central Statistics Office, around 73,000 workers – or 4.7% of the Irish workforce – were being paid the adult minimum wage in June 2014.